Non-refillable stopper



y 29, 1958 J. B. DELLA LIBERA 2,845,195

NON-REFILLABLE STOPPER Filed July 1, 1955 INVENTOR 6 17 2 .21 fay/L5. Def/a zz'fie/a.

United States Patent NON-REFILLABLE STOPPER Juan Bautista Della Libera, Havana, Cuba Application July 1 1955, Serial No. 519,475

1 Claim. (Cl. 215-22 This invention refers to a stopper or system for making non-refillable bottles and other containers.

Stoppers for non-refillable bottles are not always eifective as they enable the bottles to which they are fitted to be filled under pressure or vacuum or by manipulating a wire to immobilize the ball usually forming part of stoppers of this kind, and the object of the invention is to provide a stopper which effectively prevents unauthorized refilling of the bottle to which it is fitted.

With the foregoing object in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and the combination and arrangements of parts as will be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, in which the same reference characters indicate similar parts in all the figures:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the inner neck of a bottle constructed so as to adapt therein the various parts constituting the stopper;

Fig. 2 is a similar section with the stopper parts inserted into the neck in the normal upright position of the bottle;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to that of Fig. 2, but turned upside down into the pouring position;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to that of Figs. '2 and 3, but in a horizontal position;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the upper outer supplemental member;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of another type of upper outer member;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of an inner member which protects and supports the ball, showing its upper and lower faces and side walls;

Fig. 7a is a side view in elevation of the inner member shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. 7b is a bottom plan view of the inner member shown in Figs. 7 and 7a;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the closure valve; and

Fig. 9 shows the ball bearing on the valve member to close same.

This stopper or closure system consists mainly in the form and special arrangement of the bottle neck forming an upper chamber 11 of great diameter in which an annular member 5 (Fig. 2) or 6 (Fig. 3) is snugly fitted. Immediately below the upper chamber 11 is an intermediate chamber 12 of smaller diameter than that of chamber 11, and a second intermediate chamber portion 13 immediately below and of smaller diameter and shallower depth than chamber 12. A cylindrical member 7 of a height substantially equal to the combined depths of the intermediate chambers 12 and 13 is snugly seated in the chamber 13 and extends substantially to the top of chamber 12. This member 7 has a dished recess 24 in its underside with radial channels or flutes 23 extending from said recess to the periphery of said member and of a depth greater than the depth of the chamber 13 to provide communication through the chamber 13. On its upper surface, the member 7 is provided with a plurality of spaced upstanding segmental flanges 21- in staggered relation which are engaged by the annular member 5 or 6 to retain said cylindrical member in position and provide passages therebetween. Beneath the intermediate chamber 13 is a lower chamber 14' of smaller diameter but greater height, and within this chamber 14 is located a disc valve 8 and a ball weight 9. The chamber 14 is in communication with the interior of the bottle by means of an orifice 16 of a reduced diameter, and which is surrounded by an annular flange 15 extending into the chamber 14 and forming a valve seat. The disc valve 8 is of a diameter to completely cover said seat and has radially projecting separators 19 freely engageable with the side walls of the chamber 14 to center said valve 8 relative to its seat and form passages around the periphery of the valve. If desired, the valve seat forming flange portion may comprise a separate ring 15' seated in fluid type relation by a suitable material 27, as shown in Fig. 3.

The operation is as follows:

Once bottle 10 is filled, valve 8 is placed in position, and thereafter the ball 9, the member 7 and finally the upper cap 5 or 6 (Figs. 2 or 3) which is pasted or cemented; or else cap 5 may be fitted with a packing 25 and pressed with cap 26 (Fig. 4). In order to pour out the liquid contents of the bottle its position is inverted as shown in Fig. 3, the ball dropping into recess 24 of member 7, letting free the valve 8 which by gravity drops from its seat 15 uncovering the orifice 16 and the liquid passing through passages 20 formed by the separators 19 of valve 8 into the chamber 14, and thence through passages 23 formed by shoulders 22 of member 7 across separators 21. and thence outwards through orifice 17, which is closed with an ordinary cap.

Refilling of the bottle or the introduction of an extraneous substance, liquid or otherwise, into the bottle, by an unauthorized party, cannot be effected for the following reasons. In the normal upright position shown at Fig. 2, the closure sealing is effected by gravity, since valve 8 drops on its seat 15 and also by the weight of ball 9; if the bottle is tilted into the horizontal position shown in Fig. 4, or at any other angle, ball 9 drops by gravity on valve 8 in view of ceiling 24 of chamber 14, which owing to its conical or bell shaped form produces an inclined plane in circumference in any of these positions, and thereafter ball 9 drops down, that is upon valve 8, closing same and preventing the entrance of liquid. The insertion of a wire or other member to hold valve 9 or 8 in an unoperative position is not possible owing to the form and arrangement of piece 7 which is provided at its upper part with separators 21 which act as such with respect to the upper member 5 or 6, and at the same time as obstacle or trap, since these projections 21 of circular shape in two circles are segmented or separated so that apertures or separations do not register one in front of the other, thus making impossible the introduction of wires; besides the separation between member 7 and the wall of chamber 12 is minimum and passages 23 of the same member 7 are horizontal and furthermore this member fits in edge 13 where any wire that might have been introduced would be stopped. Further, it is not possible to introduce liquids either under pressure, or under reduced pressure since valve 8 is always in front of seat 15 closing the orifice 16 and is made of a buoyant material would thereby be pressed or drawn on to its seat 15.

What I claim is:

In a non-refillable container, a neck portion on said container having a passage therethrough and opening through the top thereof, said passage including a relatively narrow orifice spaced from the top of said neck portion and four stepped chamber portions of successively recessiorpartially receiving saidball to'permit unseating of said disc valve and also having radial channels extending from said recess to the periphery of said member and of a depth greater than the depth of said second chamber and forming passages through said second chamber between said first and third chambers, said cylindrical member having on its upper surface a plurality of concentric rings of spaced upstanding segmental flanges in staggered -relation,and an annular disc sealed in said fourth chamber and bearing on said upstanding segmental greater diameter. between -said orifice and said top the first chamber immediately above said orifice being relatively deep, the second chamber being relatively shallow and :thG'flIiId and fourth-chamberskbeing ofsintermediate -zkdepth,-an upstanding .annular;;fiange inthe .bottomxand spaced :from; the side" walls of said Lfirst .chamber in 1 surrounding relation'to said orifice-and having a'coplanar upper ,edge'forming a valve seat, a' disc valve inisaid -first.--chamber cooperative with said valve seatv'and of a E-diameter to completely cover said-seat, saidvalve' having 10 radially projecting separators freely engageable with the chamber sidewalls to center said'valve relative to said --?seatand form passages betweenthexperiphery. of-the i 'valve and the chamber walls, arball weight in said'tfirst flanges to retain said cylindrical member in fixed position, the centralopenin'g in said annular disc having a diameter smaller than that oftheinner ring of segmental flanges.

chamber above said :disc valve to; urge saidvalve on r'vsaid-seat, a cylindricalmernber having a diameter substantially: equal to and snugly seated. in said second .chamber and having an overall height substantially equal to the combined depth of said second and third chambers,

- said cylindrical member having in its underside a dished 20 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Merriam Feb. 15, 1898 Henry June 13, 1916 

